Uchiha Nagi vs. Jiraiya

The test began.

The three of them didn't charge straight at Jiraiya like Uzumaki Naruto had. Instead, they each hid themselves.

Jiraiya didn't stop them. In fact, he sighed with feeling, saying they were much smarter than he'd been at their age.

His gaze swept constantly over the surroundings. Their concealment techniques and chakra control were both excellent.

For a moment, even he, a Jonin, couldn't figure out where they were hiding.

Watching Jiraiya, Uchiha Nagi thought briefly about what tactics to use next.

Overall, he still shouldn't reveal any of his B-rank jutsu. C-rank jutsu, however, could be used in moderation without arousing suspicion.

Besides, this was only a test. Even if he didn't manage to get a bell in the end, he could still pass as long as he demonstrated the qualities of a ninja.

For a moment, the entire field fell silent.

The three of them searched for an opening, but Jiraiya stood there looking lazy, with openings all over. Still, his reputation made them hesitate, afraid to act.

They couldn't keep this up. Someone had to be the first to break the deadlock!

Let's test him. Uchiha Nagi silently told himself.

His hands darted into his ninja tool pouch, and he filled his fingers with shuriken.

Without hesitation, he hurled the first volley from his hiding place.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Three shuriken flew toward Jiraiya's head, torso, and legs in a triangular formation. Their angles were precise, and they were extremely fast.

Jiraiya's lips curled slightly as he made a small sway.

He easily sidestepped the one aimed at his legs, then tilted his head to avoid the one aimed at his throat.

At the same time, his right hand shot out like lightning and caught the shuriken aimed at his chest between his index and middle fingers.

"Nice touch, kid," Jiraiya commented, seeming completely at ease.

Just then, Uchiha Nagi's second volley arrived.

This time there were four shuriken, two in front and two slightly behind, their trajectories overlapping somewhat with those of the first volley.

Jiraiya's gaze swept over them. He was about to dodge or block them with the same minimal movements as before.

He turned slightly, preparing to let the two in front pass.

But just as he shifted his weight, his attention drawn to the two shuriken flying toward him, something unexpected happened!

Behind those shuriken was another one, concealed within the trajectories of the ones Uchiha Nagi had thrown first, making it impossible to track accurately.

The hidden shuriken appeared too suddenly. Its timing and angle were calculated with vicious precision.

It used the preceding shuriken as bait and cover, blending perfectly into the rhythm of the attack.

The easygoing look vanished from Jiraiya's face.

His pupils shrank. At the last possible moment, he forcibly twisted his waist, drove his left foot against the ground, and sprang backward.

"Riiip!"

The hidden shuriken barely grazed his clothes, slicing a long, narrow tear in the fabric and bringing away a few threads.

Jiraiya glanced at the ripped hem, then looked up toward the place where Uchiha Nagi was hiding. His expression had changed completely.

The amusement was gone. In its place was a grave look and a hint of admiration.

"Not bad, kid," Jiraiya said gravely.

Namikaze Minato and Uchiha Mikoto, watching from their hiding places, were both stunned.

They hadn't expected Uchiha Nagi's probing attack to put their teacher Jiraiya in such a tight spot—he'd nearly succeeded.

Behind the tree, Uchiha Nagi took a small breath. He knew this was only the beginning. The real fight—or rather, the real test—was about to start.

Jiraiya's attention had been drawn to him completely.

The moment he threw the shuriken, he'd also revealed where he was!

Jiraiya fixed his gaze on the direction from which Uchiha Nagi had thrown the shuriken.

He pushed off with his feet and shot toward the large tree that had served as cover.

But when he rushed around the tree, there was no one there.

Only faint traces of chakra and a cloud of stirred-up dust remained in the air.

What a quick reaction!

Jiraiya silently praised him. The moment the shuriken forced him back, the boy had decided to move.

He immediately scanned the surroundings. Even if a ten-year-old kid was fast, he couldn't have gotten far in such a short time.

Soon, he spotted a corner of clothing flicker and vanish behind another tree not far away.

"Found you!"

Without hesitation, Jiraiya accelerated again, reaching the tree in almost the blink of an eye.

Sure enough, Uchiha Nagi stood with his back to him, apparently preparing to move again.

A smug smile tugged at Jiraiya's lips as he reached out to grab Uchiha Nagi's shoulder.

Got you! The thought had just crossed Jiraiya's mind.

But the instant his fingers tightened, the "Uchiha Nagi" he'd grabbed suddenly stiffened.

Then, with a soft poof, he turned into a rough log.

The Substitution Technique!

Jiraiya's hand stayed curled in a grasping motion. All he held was the cold piece of wood, with an already-triggered Explosive Tag attached to it.

The smile froze on his face, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

"Hm?" Jiraiya furrowed his brows, staring at the substitution log in his hand. "Tch, I actually got tricked by a kid's Substitution Technique..."

The Substitution Technique was nothing more than a deception. Given the gap between Jiraiya's and Uchiha Nagi's abilities, Uchiha Nagi couldn't possibly have performed the technique right in front of him.

That meant he'd prepared it while Jiraiya couldn't see him, and the real Uchiha Nagi had already gotten away.

Still, the fact that he'd managed to fool a battle-hardened Jonin for even a moment showed that his Substitution Technique was more than good enough to pass the test.

Jiraiya silently praised him, then tossed away the piece of wood with the Explosive Tag attached and quickly leaped back.

Even he couldn't withstand an Explosive Tag's blast with his bare body.

"Boom!!"

The explosion's flames lit up Jiraiya.

"If an ordinary Chunin took that hit, it might really blow him to pieces..." Jiraiya clicked his tongue.

Just then, he sensed something was off. Another sound of something cutting through the air seemed to ring out, its target the bell hanging from his ninja tool pouch.

So they finally made their move? The timing... not bad.

Namikaze Minato immediately anticipated Jiraiya's likely escape route and threw a shuriken at once, hoping to cut the bell free.

The moment the shuriken cleanly severed the string, delight flashed in Uchiha Mikoto's eyes.

The bell looked ready to fall with the severed string.

But the next instant, her expression froze.

The "Jiraiya" struck by the shuriken suddenly twisted out of shape and burst into a substitution log with a poof.

The real Jiraiya appeared behind Namikaze Minato, his right hand curled like a claw as he reached for the back of his neck.

"Good tactics, but you acted too hastily, kid!"